


"Never forget who you are and the great name that you bear!"

by fangirl2013



Category: The White Queen (TV)
Genre: Comfort, Crying, F/M, Strength, her father's words
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-08-13
Updated: 2013-08-13
Packaged: 2017-12-23 08:59:32
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,106
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/924464
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/fangirl2013/pseuds/fangirl2013
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Summary: Her Lord Father's words always reminded her of who she was. They gave her comfort. However, when her son appears to be dying, Anne Neville realises she has to rely on Richard, instead. After all, her Lord father's words are merely that.</p>
            </blockquote>





	"Never forget who you are and the great name that you bear!"

**Author's Note:**

> There's references in the one shot to Elizabeth of York, although, Edward is still alive in this- just, I still wanted the rumours to be mentioned.

My Lord father’s words often came back to me at times and even in the direst of times, I am comforted by them. They remind me of who I am. Of what family I belong to. 

When I was younger, I didn’t realise the full extent of my Lord Father’s power. I knew he was the kingmaker and that he had a vital role in the York boy’s lives but nothing more than that. As I got older, and especially, after my first marriage, I seemed to realise just how influential my Lord Father really was. 

Being swept up in a struggle for power and being used as a pawn hadn’t effected how I felt for my Lord Father. I had, of course, been horrified at the prospect of marrying Edward of Lancaster even though, after my marriage ( and especially, on my wedding night), it had seemed that I was right to be concerned, I knew I didn’t really have a choice. 

My Lord Father had needed me to and I didn’t want to let him down. At times, when I’m watching Edward with Richard, I can’t help but think of my Lord Father. 

It’s obvious that Richard loves our son. His eyes had shone with pride from the moment Edward had been born. The look of complete and utter bliss seemed to engulf him whenever he was around Edward and when I think about it; my mind keeps wandering back to my Lord Father. Would he be proud of me? Did I do my duty? I suppose I’ll never know. 

Being crowned was something I know I’ll always think back on. As soon as I realised what I was, I immediately thought of my Lord Father’s words. It was as if they had helped me to become who I am. 

x  
As I gazed helplessly, my eyes raking over my son desperately searching for some sign of improvement, I felt my heart break in my chest. The pale, fragile boy in front of me looked and even smelled like my son but the illness which was ravaging him had made him into a ghost. The look of healthiness was gone and now replaced by a face gaunt and drawn. 

I didn’t want him to be my son. I wanted him to be as he once was. 

Edward had never been perfectly healthy even as a baby but he fought and struggled over every obstacle. Just like a Neville. 

Tears gathered in my eyes as my eyes still searched for something, anything to give me hope. All those years ago, I had felt sorry for Margaret of Anjou but it’s only now that I’m finally realising just how much her son’s death must have hurt her. 

For once, thinking about my Lord Father’s words doesn’t remind me of who I am or what family I belong to. My family, the one I created with Richard, is crumbling. Day by day…

Feeling heart sore and absolutely helpless, I leaned over my boy to make him more comfortable. Plumping his pillows and wrapping him tightly in his blanket isn’t something which will make him better. The physicians tell me it won’t but it is never pointless to give my dear son comfort. 

“I’m here, Edward, my love. I’m here.” I told him, softly, my tears cascading down my cheeks. 

Richard, who had just come into the room, immediately looked down to our son. It seemed as if Edward’s deteriorating health had affected more than I had realised. In the time of our son’s illness, Richard seemed to age. 

Each day as he came in to visit our poor boy, I would see his heart break a little more.

I had tried to mask and hold in my tears from the moment Richard had entered the room and whilst I had succeeded for a while as Richard was consumed with his worry for Edward, Richard had turned to look at me. 

“Oh, Anne.” He breathed to me, with a shuddering breath. 

The tears, by now, were flowing freely at his words and I felt as if I was letting Edward down by crying, so I quickly tried to wipe them away furiously. 

Richard, seeing this, came to my side and kneeled in front of me. Tenderly, he reached to wipe the tears from my cheeks. 

The feeling of his thumb on my cheek made me once again breakdown. It was feeling I hadn’t felt in a while but as Richard cupped my face in his hand a little while later, I stopped crying. 

Everything that had happened. The rumours about Elizabeth of York replacing me had inevitably caused tension between us but it had been Edward’s illness which had pushed us to our limits. 

As Richard pulled me into his arms, even though I felt for the first time in months that he loved me, my heart still felt as if it was breaking. The feeling of being in Richard’s arms was the one thing keeping me from breaking down completely and as he began to cling on to me, tightly, I felt a desire to shut my eyes to everything what was happening. 

However, something stopped me from doing exactly that. Our boy in front of us. Although, his breath was shallow, it was also constant. 

In that instant, still in Richard’s arms, I knew I would have to keep strong because the alternative didn’t seem to be something I wanted to contemplate. My Lord Father’s words went through my mind. 

“Never forget who you are and the great name that you bear!” How those words seem so unimportant now? Those words had helped me to deal with Margaret of Anjou and her son but now, it's different.

As I looked at Richard who seemed to be still entirely engrossed in holding me, I realised that I will need him more than ever.

Throughout the years, those words had given me so much strength. They had been one of the best things my Lord Father could have said to me but it seemed that, now, that those words are simply words. 

Being reminded of who I am helps me to keep fighting, to keep strong and those words used to help me do that but when something so monumental like this is happening, it takes more than that. 

It takes love. Perhaps the love shared between Richard and me isn’t as strong as it used be as at time it’s obvious that it’s fractured and broken but none of that seems to matter now. For once, being in Richard’s arms, watching over our son is all that matters.


End file.
